Chapter 15 #2
No, the Court of Whispers was primarily made of glass, glass that shimmered with the colors of the rainbow, the colors of the cells.
The walls appeared as stratospheric clouds.
What was different is that the glass I had encountered in my life had been still, stagnant, unmoving.
The walls and glass here responded to the vibrations of whispers, undulating and rippling as each whisper touched its surface.
“With the amount of wind and whispering that goes on around here, it was a necessary measure to ensure it would never break,” Marsh said as he continued to lead me through the halls.
They were surprisingly… vacant. “Where is everyone?” I found myself asking. I had believed Marsh wanted to show me off as a prize, what he’d stolen from Dainan, his supposed enemy, but there was no one to witness our walk together, save for the two court members behind us.
“You do not need to worry yourself with that.”
Of course I don’t.
Marsh ceased walking in front of two glass doors that had been imbued with golden swirls. Lil would hate this.
Opening the doors, I was ushered inside to one end of a table that could have seated twenty.
To our left was once again a large window, offering views of the surrounding wilderness.
I was happy to see a different part of the Tactras Mountains.
As beautiful as the view from my cell was, I had grown tired of seeing it.
Before I could take time to admire it, food appeared in front of me, as if carried on a phantom wind. Eggs, prepared exactly as I liked, sausages, potatoes, fruits, toast, with jam, all sat on a gilded plate in front of me.
Without saying a word, Marsh picked up his own fork and began eating. I couldn’t help but stare at the food. The fruit had a color to it, a sheen that appeared almost too perfect. The red of the berries too vibrant, the light reflecting off the sausage casing too pristine.
He’s put something in the food. Does he plan to ply me with a tonic? Something that will force me to answer his questions… whatever they may be.
The Court of Whispers trades in secrets, a commodity they value higher than any other. I suppose they didn’t care how they went about retrieving those secrets. Whether or not it was with consent.
“Eat, Brida. You don’t want your food to get cold.
” He said between bites, not even lifting his head to look at me.
The room that surrounded us was similar to the others I’d seen, the walls, all made of glass, allowed you to see what was in the rooms beyond.
There were no decorations, no artwork on the walls.
The light within the court was the light that came in from outside, and I found myself drawn to the large window once more.
The white sparkling peaks of the mountains were just as beautiful on this side of the court as they were mine. However, is that…
“Brida, there is nothing wrong with the food,” he finally lifted his gaze to mine. “Eat.”
Forgetting the mask I was supposed to be wearing, I laughed. Small and somewhat controlled, but still, Marsh noticed.
“What’s so funny?”
“I asked you once.” I picked up my fork, pushing the potatoes around my plate.
“Asked me what?” He leaned back in his chair, dropping his fork and knife, his fingers lacing with one another.
I held his gaze. “I asked you if you were responsible for ensuring we eat three balanced meals a day. And you said, only those I have a vested interest in. And here you are, still trying to feed me.”
Marsh looked as though he were attempting to recall the memory, but it did not exist. After a few moments, he cleared his throat, “Yes, well. That does sound like something I would say. I have been and will always try to take care of you.”
I couldn’t contain the laughter that escaped my throat.
Dear Alvar, I would have made a terrible diplomat. I wish you were here to see it. I miss you…
“Yes, this is quite the care you’re affording me. Dictating when I’m allowed to leave, whom I’m permitted to see. When are you planning to tell me why I’m here exactly?”
“When you prove you’re amenable to listening to what I have to say,” Marsh said through gritted teeth, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the table.
“Does it bother you?” My mask had all but dissolved into dust, “To know that I did not choose you?”
Marsh scoffed, throwing his napkin at the table, “If you do not wish to join me for breakfast, then Tarem and Ara would be more than happy to walk you back to your room.”
“My cell.”
“Are you not comfortable there? I would have thought the sheets would have been to your liking; I chose the color…”
“Are you asking if I’m comfortable in the cell, yes, cell, you placed me in? You thought I might be more comfortable because you chose a particular color of sheets. Sheets that would what? Soothe the memories of you assisting in the slaughtering of Addie and Alvar.”
“I don’t recall you ever being this feisty,” he said, leaning back in his chair, an amused expression dancing across his face.
I wasn’t sure I ever had been. It was a side of myself that felt foreign to me, one that wasn’t truly me, or perhaps it was.
I had been pushed beyond the limits of what I could endure, and like most things in nature, part of me had broken.
Except within that breaking, it hadn’t fractured me.
I’d rebuilt myself. I was forged in the fires of the Court of Shadows, and he will not break me.
“I’m ready to go back to my cell.” I pushed my chair back from the ornately decorated table.
I made my way to the doorway when Marsh gave Tarem and Ara a nod before rising himself, making his way to the window, staring out into the distance.
I found myself squinting at the window as Marsh turned to face me.
“They will escort you to your room, Brida,” Marsh said, hands clasped behind his back. “We will talk again soon.”
Offering a mock curtsey, I strode into the hall, Tarem and Ara surrounding me. I was not to be let out of their sight.
As we walked back to my cell, I didn’t wonder about Marsh and how we’d ended up here. No, there was something far more pressing. Why, I wondered, is there a glow radiating in the distance of the Tactras Mountains?